A New Zealand MP has been in Tonga encouraging women to participate in politics as the country prepares for local body elections in June.

Transcript

Jenny Salesa Photo: Supplied

A New Zealand MP has been in Tonga encouraging women to participate in politics as the country prepares for local body elections in June.

Jenny Salesa, who is also Tongan, held an meeting in Nuku'alofa last week inviting women who were interested in politics.

Mrs Salesa says over 50 women attended the meeting.

She told Koro Vaka'uta there has been a distinct lack of women involved in political leadership.

JENNY SALESA: Here in Tonga, in terms of local politics, they have their elections in June this year but there's never been a woman who has successfully stood for the local government body. They are seeing this as a possible first step. As you know, at the moment here in Tonga, they have 26 members of parliament and they are all men. So they are seeing the local body elections here as a possible first step for hopefully women getting back into parliament here in Tonga. There have been, as far as I know, three women who have been elected as members of parliament here in Tonga in the past, but that is the number of women who have made it into parliament here. Only three.

KORO VAKA'UTA: What was your message to the women in Nuku'alofa?

JS: I basically asked them, do they have a plan? Do they have a strategy? Do they have a team? Are they having things like door-knocking, phone canvassing? How are they promoting themselves? I also said that in their plan and their strategy they really should ask of themselves, why are they standing? What are they currently doing? How have they contributed back? What would they hope to implement, when they get in? There were a lot of questions from the floor. I presented maybe 10 minutes or so and then there were probably about 50 minutes of questions and then answers and there were a whole variety of questions that I was asked.

KV: What does seem to be the main obstacle for women to participate in politics in Tonga?

JS: Unfortunately Koro one of the main obstacles are women themselves. Let me give you just a brief example. After the last general election here in Tonga there was a lot of debate over the radio. 16 women were candidates and they stood to be members of parliament but questions were being asked why is it that not one of those 16 were successful? I happened to be in Tonga and I have got to say I was quite disappointed. I'd say about 90 percent of the callers that were calling into the radio station said that, along these lines: women, there place was in the home, women shouldn't be heads of departments, women shouldn't be in parliament, women shouldn't make decisions including in business or in parliament. But these 90 percent, Koro, were phone calls from women themselves. That was the most disappointing thing for me. Before we actually point the finger at others as to why there is not enough women representation, we ourselves as women, we need to also ask why is it that we do not support our own?

KV: So you hope that you have possibly inspired and motivated women in that sense?

JS: Yes I was told by quite a few people that my answers to a lot of their questions were motivational and inspirational for them to keep on trying to represent people.